Combination remedies criticised

Speaking at a conference of Bach Foundation Registered Practitioners held by TS Products in Putten, Holland, he said, 'There are several problems with these products.

'What happens when somebody buys a pre-mixed formula against exam stress or sleeplessness? The likeliest thing is that it won't work, or at best won't be fully effective, because it contains the wrong remedies for that individual, or too many remedies.

'The customer won't blame the mix of remedies in the bottle. He'll just assume the whole system doesn't work, and won't come back to it.'

The comments echo those made last year by Bach Centre Managing Director Judy Ramsell Howard. Writing in the Bach Centre Newsletter Ramsell Howard called pre-mixed combination products 'a deviation from one of the most fundamental principles of Dr Bach’s work: that every human being is an individual.

‘A generalised blend may be no better suited to your needs than a completely random selection,’ she wrote. ‘Choice of remedies should be based on individual needs and personal reflection.’

The Bach Centre has advised practitioners that the use of premixed combination remedies – with the sole exception of the traditional crisis 'rescue' formula – is against the spirit of Dr Bach’s work, and could be a contravention of its Code of Practice.